The Natural History Museum is housed in Alfred Waterhouse’s cathedral-like Romanesque building in South Kensington, opened in 1881. Its terracotta facade, carved with animals and plants, is one of the finest Victorian architectural statements in London. The building alone is worth the visit.
Hope and the Blue Whale
The central hall is now dominated by Hope — a blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling, installed in 2017 to replace the diplodocus cast (Dippy) that had hung there for a century. At 25 metres long, Hope is every bit as striking as her predecessor.
The Darwin Centre
Behind the Victorian building sits the Darwin Centre — a modern cocoon-shaped building housing 17 million insects, 3 million plants, and the working laboratories where museum scientists carry out research. Free tours of the collections run daily.
South Kensington Museum Circuit
The Natural History Museum is next door to the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Science Museum. Together they form the greatest concentration of free world-class museums anywhere on earth. Plan a full day in South Kensington — you won’t exhaust it.
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